It's a jungle out there. It's even more savage inside the twisted minds of murderers who conceal their malevolence behind smiling masks and strike out without pity. This spine-tingling collection contains 23 new stories of suspense from some of the bestselling authors in the genre. Authors include Clive Barker, Lawrence Block, David Morrell, Ray Bradbury, and many more.
CONTENTS
The dripping / David Morrell -- The wringer / F. Paul Wilson -- A season of change / Richard T. Chizmar -- Good vibrations / Richard Laymon -- The Tulsa experience / Lawrence Block -- Trolls / Christopher Fahy -- Small deaths / Charles de Lint -- White lightning / Al Sarrantonio -- Hitman / Rick Hautala -- Vympyre / William F. Nolan -- And eight rabid pigs / David Gerrold. Bringing it along / A.R. Morlan -- Redemption / Jack Ketchum -- The graveyard ghoul / Edward D. Hoch -- The rings of Cocytus / Katherine Ramsland -- Late last night / John Maclay -- Beasts in buildings, turning 'round / J.N. Williamson -- Dark side of the moon / Babara Collins -- Honor bound / J.M. Morgan -- The instrumentalist / William Relling Jr. -- Corpse carnival / Ray Bradbury -- The book of blood / Clive Barker.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Edward Joseph Gorman Jr. was a prolific American author and anthologist, widely recognized for his contributions to crime, mystery, western, and horror fiction. Born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gorman spent much of his life in the Midwest, drawing on that experience to set many of his novels in small towns. After working over two decades in advertising, political speechwriting, and industrial filmmaking, he published his first novel, Rough Cut, in 1984 and soon transitioned to full-time writing. His fiction is often praised for its emotional depth, suspenseful storytelling, and nuanced characters. Gorman wrote under the pseudonyms Daniel Ransom and Robert David Chase, and contributed to publications such as Mystery Scene, Cemetery Dance, and Black Lizard. He co-founded Mystery Scene magazine and served as its editor and publisher until 2002, continuing his “Gormania” column thereafter. His works have been adapted for film and graphic novels, including The Poker Club and Cage of Night. In comics, he wrote for DC and Dark Horse. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2002, he continued writing despite his illness until his passing in 2016. Critics lauded him as one of the most original crime writers of his generation and a “poet of dark suspense.”
· 9 • The Dripping • David Morrell This was originally published in the 70's, unlike most of the stories, which were new for the book (mid-90s). However, it's quite good. A man comes home to the old country house where his family's been staying for the summer. But all is silent – except for the milk dripping from the ceiling. Where are his wife, daughter and elderly mother? What has happened?
· 18 • The Wringer • F. Paul Wilson An American of Middle-Eastern descent has had his family kidnapped. The abductor is calling, spewing anti-Arab sentiments and demanding that he do progressively more humiliating and dangerous acts or his wife and son will be killed. In desperation, he calls a mercenary(?) hitman(?) called Repairman Jack. Good ending!
· 68 • A Season of Change • Richard T. Chizmar A policeman whose partner has been killed by a drug dealer takes justice into his own hands. Not that memorable or scary.
· 86 • Good Vibrations • Richard Laymon A flirtatious teenager gets more than she bargained for when she meets a good-looking – but strange – young man while sunbathing at the beach. And it was almost such a sweet story..... ;-)
· 104 • The Tulsa Experience • Lawrence Block Last time I read this was before I'd been on tripadvisor.com and read people's ‘trip reports' about their (mostly rather mundane) vacations. This story of a guy and his brother's vacations to not-so-exotic cities and the touristy things they do on these trips reads just like one of those... except for the shocker.... Pretty funny!
· 117 • Trolls • Christopher Fahy Straight out of college, a young woman gets the job she was hoping for – a teaching position. However, the school is an institution for mentally disabled adults, rather rundown and in an isolated location. And some of the students seem more full of malice than you'd expect. Is this why staff members keep quitting unexpectedly, never to be seen again? Or does the school hide a deeper secret? (The title does rather give it away.)
· 141 • Small Deaths [Newford] • Charles de Lint Not really a horror story, per se. A young woman who's a late-night radio DJ gets stalked by a weirdo and learns some things about hope and despair.
· 164 • White Lightning • Al Sarrantonio An abused kid goes nuts and goes on a killing spree. Extremely violent. Quite good.
· 176 • Hitman • Rick Hautala A Mafia hitman's car breaks down and he's forced to hitch a ride from a passerby... but then the good Samaritan thinks he sees a dead hand flopping around, sticking out of the truck in front of them... More like an episode of The Sopranos than a horror story.
· 192 • Vympyre • William F. Nolan An ancient vampire is dying. Only 3 pages long. He reminisces a bit, then dies.
· 195 • ...And Eight Rabid Pigs ["Satan Claus"] • David Gerrold A writer makes up a story about the anti-Santa Claus. But naming things can bring them into being, and as the story gains popularity, perhaps Satan Claus will actually come into being. Nice holiday tale! tongue.gif
· 210 • Bringing It Along • A. R. Morlan A rather nasty boyfriend likes to scare his wussy girlfriend on camping trips. But this time he doesn't get the last laugh.
· 219 • Redemption • Jack Ketchum An ex-girlfriend has made a habit of offing her ex'es new dates. Nobody suspects a well-dressed young woman of being a killer. But she gets more than she bargained for when she meets a dangerous dominatrix. Eh. The story tries too hard to say too much.
· 232 • The Graveyard Ghoul • Edward D. Hoch A mystery in the gothic vein... A rich gentleman calls for an investigation. Someone's been desecrating graves on his estate's private cemetery, and he suspects it might be his own son... but what could be the motive for such a gruesome crime? I don't really think it works all that well – the ‘clues' don't necessarily add up to the conclusion... but it's fun enough.
· 249 • The Rings of Cocytus • Katherine Ramsland Another serial killer story. Remember, you never know what could set off a killer... they could seem normal – until the trigger is pulled, and they snap... Not one of the stronger pieces in the book.
· 255 • Late Last Night • John Maclay A young drifter/musician meets a similar girl in a bus station. They hook up, then they get killed randomly by hoodlums. If you have a deep fear of unknown cities at night, this story might do it for you, but it's just too random and unrealistic. There's no point to it.
· 264 • Beasts in Buildings, Turning 'Round • J. N. Williamson A group of people are stuck in a hotel in a war-torn (Middle-Eastern?) city. And someone is killing them, one by one? Who is the murderer? The lip-reading nun may be able to find out. Interesting setting/premise, but not that well executed.
· 287 • Dark Side of the Moon • Barbara Collins An abused wife goes missing from her home. Did her husband kill her? The leader of the local feminist group, jumping to conclusions, certainly thinks so. But the psychic detective seems to think she's alive and well... on the moon. If a guy had written this one, it would never have been published.
· 303 • Honor Bound • J. M. Morgan Best serial killer story of the lot. When he was little, Gershom's mother was attacked and killed. Now Gershom feels compelled to reenact this crime again and again, preying on mothers with young children...forcing them to make a choice between their lives and that of their children. Believable and creepy.
· 318 • The Instrumentalist • William Relling, Jr. Short piece from the point of view of a hospitalized psycho. Not too impressive.
· 321 • Corpse Carnival [as by D. R. Banat] • Ray Bradbury Another older piece – originally published in 1945. A classic. One of a pair of Siamese twins is stabbed at a carnival freakshow. The quick work of a surgeon saves the other twin's life. Now he is a ‘normal' man – finally, it seems, he'll be able to be free and be alone with the woman he loves. But first, even though he always disliked and resented his twin, he's honor bound to find his brother's killer.
· 338 • The Book of Blood • Clive Barker This is really just the introduction to Barker's "Books of Blood" series of short stories. Previously published, and certainly doesn't deserve the top billing it's given. Still, Barker's always good...
Despite some of the big names in this anthology, it's like too many of them - OK but far from great. None of the stories stood out as that good to me, while a few of them I didn't even finish because they were that unappealing. And while it claims to be "22 stories of terror" few of them were really horror. Many were more like thrillers about various types of killers.
A beautifully curated set of creepy tales to read late at night!! Some are completely creepy, others let your imagination do a lot of the work, and still others have a great deal of heart. There really is something for everyone in this collection.
Not sure how to rate this book I just picked it up for something to read at a friends house. I was disgusting but I was curious and could not put it down. I know Hell Raiser the move scares the BJesues out of me and I know that when I saw there was a story by Clive barker. And he creeps me out knowing he sits around and thinks of this stuff BUT I still read it. I guess its like watching a slow train wreck. I was curious and can't say I would not do it again.
Безобразно българско издание. 1. половината разкази са съкратени - няма ги просто. 2. Корицата подвежда. Дейвид Морел не е автор на книгата, а един от авторите в сборника. Без коментар. 3. Липсва съдържание. Разказите са нашлякани по страниците само със заглавията - не се разбира коя творба на кого е. Въобще, пълен хаос. А иначе самите разкази....ми, ок са. Някои.
Eh. Not at all impressed with this one. I like reading horror anthologies, because I view it as a way to 'sample' the authors' work- it's easier to get a quick idea of my level of interest in an authors' writing and style with a short story than it is with an entire novel. When I'm intrigued by a short story, I love researching the author and finding more of what they've done.
Unfortunately, this book was slim pickings for me in terms of both enjoyment of the short stories and of finding new authors to check out. The only stories that I really enjoyed were Trolls by Christopher Fahy, Bringing It Along by A.R. Morlan, the Instrumentalist by William Relling Jr, and the Book of Blood by Clive Barker. (Although I must say that the Book of Blood was a strange choice for this anthology, since it was clearly the introduction for it's own anthology, and at the end of this one). The other stories were at best mildly entertaining enough to read through, or bland enough to outright skip. Can't say I really recommend this anthology, sadly.
A very nice collection. The stories inside range from the thrilling to the scary with very few duds of the lot. A couple of them had that "old time" short story feel, yet were also new stories. Overall very enjoyable. Some favorites are below.
"The Wringer" by F. Paul Wilson - A Repairman Jack story about a job he takes but feels he shouldn't have. And if you don't know who Repairman Jack is, shame on you!!
"A Season of Change" by Richard T. Chizmar - A revenge story from a semi-reluctant cop.
"Small Deaths" by Charles de Lint - A story about changes and something that I used to think of as "pivotal life moments."
"Redemption" by Jack Ketchum - A story both a little too close to home and yet also not quite close enough.
One of the best anthologies I'd read in awhile. Laymon's Good Vibrations was really enjoyable. William F. Nolan's Vampyre was another great one to read. Wringer by F. Paul Wilson was a fun Repairman Jack short Jack Ketchum's Redemption was a shuddery good time ...And Eight Rabid Pigs by Dave Gerrold was creepy fun Katherine Ramslands story The Rings of Cocytus was a paranoiac's dream.
Fun, vintage tales. I enjoyed this collection. Most of the stories included held my attention. I really liked The Wringer by F. Paul Wilson and Corpse Carnival by Ray Bradbury.
Night Screams is a collection packed with 22 stories of terror, all design to do just that, to terrify and unsettle you. There are some well known authors in this collection along with several I haven’t come across before. I like that opportunity to discover new authors.
Now the stories in this book range from gross to deeply unsettling in so many ways. These include:
📖 The Dripping by David Morrell 📖 The Wringer by F. Wilson 📖 A Season of Change by Richard T. Chizmar 📖 Good Vibrations by Richard Laymon 📖 The Tulsa Experience by Lawrence Block 📖 Trolls by Christoper Fahy 📖 Small Deaths by Charles de Lint 📖 White Lightening by Al Sarrantonio 📖 Hitman by Rick Hautala 📖 Vympyre by William F. Nolan 📖 … And Eight Rabid Pigs by David Gerrold 📖 Bringing It Along by A. R. Morlan 📖 Redemption by Jack Ketchum 📖 The Graveyard Ghoul by Edward D. Hoch 📖 The Rings of Cocytus by Katherine Ramsland 📖 Late Last Night by John Maclay 📖 Beasts in building, Turning ‘Round by J. N. Williamson 📖 Dark Side Of The Moon by Barbara Collins 📖 Honor Boung by J.M. Morgan 📖 The Instrumentalist by William Relling Jr 📖 Corpse Carnival by Ray Bradbury 📖The Book of Bloods by Clive Barker
Now there are several stories here that will stick with me from how creepy they were like “The Tulsa Experience”,” The Wringer,” “Trolls”, “Redemption”, “Small Deaths” and of course “The Book of Bloods”.
Definitely a collection which will be loved by fans of horror and perfect for the spooky season 😈
This is a varied collection of horror stories. Unfortunately for me, many of them were the more human, depraved serial killer type of story. I'm a supernatural/folklore kind of horror reader. The stories I enjoyed most from the collection were Trolls, Vympyre, and The Graveyard Ghoul.
I just couldn't do it... I read maybe 6 of these stories (started & rejected a few others)... some of them are disturbing in a good way, some aren't - but the quality just isn't consistently good enough for me to be motivated to bother with it anymore.
I think the only Big Dogs are Barker & Bradbury, and those are just older tales republished.
The first half of this book I really enjoyed. But I found some of the stories at the end I skipped through and there was even two I didn't understand, which is unusual for me. I'm also not a huge Clive Barker fan which may seem unusual to some horror fanatics.